Jointed figure toy having cooperating bearing surfaces of duplicate size and contours

ABSTRACT

Figure toy torso, having same appearance when viewed from either the front or the rear, is rotatably connected to trunk along a 45* planar surface so that figure toy is converted from standing position to a sitting position by rotating torso 180* placing trunk normal to torso. A head is rotatably connected to torso and is turned to face the front of doll after rotation of torso.

United States Patent Balza [451 Dec. 19,1972

[54] JOINTED FIGURE TOY HAVING COOPERATING BEARING SURFACES OF DUPLICATESIZE AND CONTOURS [72] Inventor: Armando M. Balza, Whittier, Calif.

[73] Assignee: Mattel, Inc., Hawthorne, Calif.

[22] Filed: Aug. 30, 1971 [21] Appl. No.2 175,985

[52] U.S.Cl. ..46/151,46/l6l,46/l62 [51] Int. Cl. ..A63h 3/46 [58]FieldofSearch ..46/1l5,l6l,162,163,151,

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,221,442 12/1965 Estern eta1 ..46/l62 X 1,345,052 6/1920 Williams ..46/l61 2,760,303 8/1956 DelMas ..46/l63 X 2,884,739 5/1959 Ketcham "46/116 X Primary Examiner-LouisG. Mancene Assistant Examiner-Robert F. Cutting Attorney-Seymour A.Scholnick [5 ABSTRACT Figure toy torso, having same appearance whenviewed from either the front or the rear, is rotatably connected totrunk along a 45 planar surface so that figure toy is converted fromstanding position to a sitting position by rotating torso 180 placingtrunk normal to torso. A head is rotatably connected to torso and isturned to face the front of doll after rotation of torso.

2 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEU 19 I972 3. 706, 155

sum 1 OF 2 PATENTEDBEB 19 I972 SHEET 2 [IF 2 W m w w a/ max) JOINTEDFIGURE TOY HAVING COOPERATING BEARING SURFACES OF DUPLICATE SIZE ANDCONTOURS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The background of the inventionwill be set forth in two parts.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention pertains generally to thefield of figure toys of the type having cooperating bearing surfaces ofduplicate size and contours between major body parts and moreparticularly to such a'figure toy which includes a torso having the sameappearance when viewed from either the front or the rear.

US. Pat. No. 1,345,052 is an example of a jointed figure toy havingcooperating bearing surfaces of duplicate size and contours so thatportions of the body of the figure toy may be rotated relative to eachother to transform the figure toy from a position where the toy iscapable of standing on all four feet to a position where the toy standson its rear feet with the front feet extending vertically upwardly.Other portions of the body may also be rotated in such a manner that thefigure toy appears to be standing on its front feet with its rear feetextending rearwardly in an elevated position SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THEINVENTION It is a primary object of the present invention to provide anew and useful jointed figure toy having cooperating bearing surfaces ofduplicate size and contour.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a figure toy ofthe type described including a torso having the same appearance whenviewed from either the front or the rear and means rotatably connectingthe torso to a trunk portion along a 45 planar surface so that thefigure toy is converted from a standing position to a sitting positionby rotating the torso 180.

According to the present invention, a figure toy-is provided whichincludes a torso having the same appearance when viewed from either thefront or the rear. The torso includes an upper end having a neck plugand a lower end having a planar surface forming an angle of 45with ahorizontal plane.

The figure toy also includes a trunk portion having an upper planarsurface which also forms an angle of 45with a horizontal plane and whichis adapted to rotatably engage the lower planar surface on the torso.

The trunk includes a pair of legs having a major axis which may bealigned with the major axis of the torso when the torso and trunk areplaced in a first rotated position with respect to each other. Upon a180rotation from this position, the major axis through the legs isnormal to the major axis through the torso so that the figure toy willassume a sitting position with the head of the figure toy facingbackward. The head may then be rotated on the neck plug to aforward-facing position.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel areset forth with particularity in the appended claims. The presentinvention, both'as to its organization and manner of use, together withfurther objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood byreference to the following description,

taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which likereference characters refer to like elements in the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevational view ofa figure toy of the presentinvention in a standing position;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the figure toy of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the figure toy of FIG. 1 with itshead and trunk portion rotated 90"- counter-clockwise from the FIG. 1position;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the figure toy of FIG. 1after the torso has been rotated 90- clockwise;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the figure toy of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the torso of the figure toy ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a rear elevational view of the torso; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view .of the figure toy in itsFIG. 2 position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A Referring again to thedrawings, a figure toy constituting a presently preferred embodiment ofthe invention, generally designated 10, includes a head 12, a torso 14,and a trunk 16. w

Referring now more in particular to FIGS. 6 8, torso 14 includes anupper end 18 provided with a neck plug 20 having an annular groove 22rotatably receiving head 12. Torso 14 also has a lower end 24 providedwith a trunk plug 26 having an annular groove 28 rotatably receivingtrunk 16. Groove 28 includes an upper shoulder 30 comprising a planarsurface forming an angle of about 45with a horizontal plane passingthrough torso l4.

Torso 14 includes a pair of arms 32, 34 formed integrally therewith andextending laterally outwardly therefrom. A hand 36 is formed on the endof each arm 32, 34 and arms 32, 34 and hands 36 have the same appearancewhen viewed from the front, as in FIG. 6, and from the rear, as in FIG.7.

Trunk 16 includes an upper end 40 provided with an annular planarsurface 42 forming an angle of about 45with a horizontal plane passingthrough trunk 16. A pair of legs (FIG. 1) 44, 46 depend from trunk 16and are adapted to support figure toy 10 in a standing position whenhead 12, torso l4 and trunk 16 are arranged in the position shown inFIGS. 1, 2 and 8. Legs 44, 46 are adapted to extend from figure toy 10normal to the major axis aa of figure toy 10 when the parts are arrangedas shown in FIG. 4.

Figure toy 10 may be converted from'the position shown in FIG. 2 to theposition shown in FIG. 4 by rotating torso l4 lcounterclockwise in thedirection of arrow B (FIG. 2). Alternatively, head 12 and trunk 16 maybe rotated counterclockwise from the position shown in FIG. 1 to theposition shown in FIG. 3.

Figure toy 10 will then assume the position shown in jects and providingthe advantages hereinbefore stated,

it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presentlypreferred embodiment of the invention and that no limitations areintended to the details of construction or design herein shown otherthan as defined in the appended claims, which form a part of thisdisclosure.

What is claimed is:

l.-1n a figure toy having sections which may be rotated upon each other180 without destroying the continuity of the surface of the figure, theimprovement means pivotally connecting said torso and trunk together onan axis making a predetermined acute angle to said torso, whereby saidfigure toy may be converted from a standing configuration to a sittingconfiguration by rotating said trunk and torso with respect to oneanother.

2. A figure toy, comprising:

a normally upright torso having a lower planar surface forming an angleof about 45 with a horizontal plane;

a pair of arms fixed to said torso and extending laterally from oppositesides of said torso, opposite sides of said arms being similarlyconfigured and having the same appearance when viewed from the rear aswhen viewed from the front;

a trunk having an upper planar surface forming an angle of about 45 withsaid horizontal plane;

means rotatably connecting said torso and trunk together about an axistransverse to said planar surfaces, whereby rotation of said torso andtrunk 180 with respect to each other from an aligned position placessaid torso and trunk normal to each other; and

a head rotatably mounted on said torso.

1. In a figure toy having sections which may be rotated upon each other180* without destroying the continuity of the surface of the figure, theimprovement comprising: a normally upright unitary torso havingsimulated arms fixed thereto and extending laterally therefrom, saidtorso also having a front side and a rear side, opposite sides of saidarms being configured to have the same appearance when viewed fromeither said front side or said rear side; a unitary trunk including ahip portion and legs fixedly extending from said hip portion; and meansPivotally connecting said torso and trunk together on an axis making apredetermined acute angle to said torso, whereby said figure toy may beconverted from a standing configuration to a sitting configuration byrotating said trunk and torso 180* with respect to one another.
 2. Afigure toy, comprising: a normally upright torso having a lower planarsurface forming an angle of about 45* with a horizontal plane; a pair ofarms fixed to said torso and extending laterally from opposite sides ofsaid torso, opposite sides of said arms being similarly configured andhaving the same appearance when viewed from the rear as when viewed fromthe front; a trunk having an upper planar surface forming an angle ofabout 45* with said horizontal plane; means rotatably connecting saidtorso and trunk together about an axis transverse to said planarsurfaces, whereby rotation of said torso and trunk 180* with respect toeach other from an aligned position places said torso and trunk normalto each other; and a head rotatably mounted on said torso.